Ok I have a first before and after shot for you. This corner had the worst water damage. The new wood has made all the difference. If your wondering why we are going to all this trouble, we priced a new unit that we wanted at $21,000.00 which was much higher than I had expected. The same exact size as the one we have (that I got in a deal for another project) which is as big a unit as you can get. We have a good deal of unused materials already here at the rocket ranch. So, so far the repairs have cost us $0 new dollars!

Monroe

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post._________________Today's the day! We go into Space!

On a side note: Team Prometheus has been working on a 5-Axis trunnion table design to use in making turbine blades for a peroxide/kero engine. We also wanted to offer plans/kits for the set-up the only real hold up has been the unavailability of 5-Axis software that can do proper kamatics for tool path in a 5-Axis machine. I have Solidworks and Mastercam and I can do this but that cost about 20 Grand to set-up so until now making the machine was not going to really help anyone. My friend Dan Mauch has finally gotten Camtronics (a very low cost cnc software solution that has been around for prob 20 years now and may have been the first cnc software I ever used) to do 5-Axis work! So the future of the Team Prometheus 5-Axis machine just got some new life.

Hey Eric, Camtronics also has a 3D scanner for under $500 that would go nicely with your 3D Printer! It would also make quick work of CAD modeling of items we have already made. Also great for helping Jetmanhuss with the graphics for model aircraft that could save time too.

I can't wait to model some stuff on your printer in fact you might be able to model the turbine for the peroxide/kero engine. Too many irons in the fire right now to do anything in that direction for me. But we will get around to it!

Well I've rested a bit now for a day I have to catch up sometime! I thought the business meeting last night would be slow because I've been working so hard on mission control I didn't have time to prepare. But the team pulled together and made it a great meeting and we made progress! Thanks guy's keep up the great work! Stew, Michelle and Eric! Way to go Team! Thanks Ray for showing up!

Michelle, thanks for the link. I am trying to get my kids out and working with our local rocket club....so this helps.

I am not aware of any Foundations other than the ones you are probably already familiar with. Although there are a lot space societies that perhaps have positive cash flow and would potentially contribute?

This perhaps is one of the "big names" you are already familiar with, but they are one of the top candidates, I am talking about: http://www.spacefoundation.org/

Hey Eric, Camtronics also has a 3D scanner for under $500 that would go nicely with your 3D Printer! It would also make quick work of CAD modeling of items we have already made. Also great for helping Jetmanhuss with the graphics for model aircraft that could save time too.

I can't wait to model some stuff on your printer in fact you might be able to model the turbine for the peroxide/kero engine. Too many irons in the fire right now to do anything in that direction for me. But we will get around to it!

Monroe

Sounds good, if you can send any drawings or details of the items you wanted modeled/printed I can get started.

Team Prometheus is working on promoting amateur aerospace and electronics to person's interested. The challenge is how a non- profit can market electronic kits and educational material while providing content. This is a challenge because it takes enough sales to support the technology and user support. How would you recommend a stable NPV/IRR based on sales in order to create user oriented content. Perhaps crowd funding or social media?The tendency is for things to head the direction of technology or telematics. (Not even part of spell check anymore.) The idea is that it will offer people a door via experience into the world of electronics and avionics. The skill from experience is something that has long been shifted over to education. But the goal is to revive experience based learning where merit speaks in action. You can make your own simple satellite, launch it into space and relay pictures from space. Or learn about rocketry and fluid mechanics through programming. Track a balloon in real time and connect a camera/video feed in real time.

At Team Prometheus the goal seems to me at least to give people technical knowledge without needing the schooling threshold. In my opinion it would go a long way to provide veritable expertise to the unskilled person and qualify people for STEM type jobs.

Looks like we are making progress in that direction Michael. I also wish you luck in your endeavor with the electronics.

It is quite a battle indeed to get a group of people together that have a common interest these days. When to comes to development of spacecraft and ideas that are difficult to deal with.

Launching a small rocket into space from the ground is indeed no small feat. Especially a single stage rocket. Economically it is pretty easy to get a small rocket to 100kft and I'm saying easy because it get's done pretty regularly.

There is a strong barrier beyond 100kft rocket nozzles that work at lower altitudes become inefficient near vacuum and you would need another stage at that point to really reach space efficiently.

The main problem is cost because a 2 stage rocket would need a bigger booster to get the second stage of the rocket to that altitude and as it is, the cost to get just a booster to 100kft is about all that is practical within the budget of most amateur teams.

The only viable solution to this problem (within the budget) is to lift your rocket to 100kft and launch it from there with a nozzle optimized for vacuum and with so much less drag a small rocket to space becomes feasible.

The problem is the myth that launching a rocket from a balloon is difficult. I think the real solution to reach space altitudes WITHIN the amateur budget is just there is no proof in modern times that this IS the way to do it within a budget.

There is also a fallacy attached to regulations about doing rockoon launches because not enough people have worked with the FAA in this direction.

So what we plan to do is provide that information to the public. There is also not a supplier for a proper zero pressure balloon of the right size for an optimal performance rockoon launch.

Providing the public was informed and the regulations worked out MANY amateur teams could reach space and at a price that would make 100kft boosters look silly.

Another huge factor is the quality of the telemetry and control systems used by the amateur rocket community. There have been great advances in avionics as of late that can benefit the amateur rocket community in ways never before imagined and at a cost many can afford.

Our mission control is a perfect example of how this new technology can be used for tracking and telemetry as well as control never before achieved at this price.

The reason Team Prometheus was founded was to provide just this to the community. Lower cost access to space for everyone!

Big rockets cost big bucks! Our goal maximizes some fundamental advantages to get that done on a budget with smaller rockets and using new technology to get the most out of the amateur rocket experience.

Will we get rich providing this technology? I don't see how that would happen. But we might make enough to keep going and keep advancing the state of the art for amateur rocketry and amateur space exploration.

I'd also like to point out the Condor amateur spaceplane is we think a pretty cool project as well and we plan to showcase many new things that can be done at low cost in this direction for amateur space enthusiast.

Using these new technologies to provide a more rounded experience to amateurs in an environment that approaches much more closely and provides a much closer experience to the full blown commercial space program.

Closing the gap substantially between amateur and professional space exploration.

The electronics is about thermo-electrics. It is like Solid state stuff. My hope is it will provide me with the ability to improve my knowledge of physics and application thereof. But its certainly a long process. It takes years to do anything! Hopefully many people will begin to learn from Team Prometheus soon. Once people are able to access and use a certain technology it usually a matter of time until it becomes part of an economic activity. They used to call it telematics. Now it is a lot of many things people see as common.